Identifying the Theme in a Passage

When identifying theme you have to...

• find it and highlight

• infer it by using text evidence

Theme in text is...

• hidden inside the text like the filling in a cupcake

• easy to identify like see the icing on the cake

What is the theme of this passage?

• You can buy more if you save your money.

• Danny is smarter than Benny.

• You should not spend all your money on candy.

What is the theme of this story? 

• Don't steal. 

• Don't judge others. You don't know what they are capable of. 

• Being beautiful is the most important thing.

• Swans are prettier than ducks.

One way you could figure out the theme is to...

• Skim through the story

• Just read the beginning of the story

• Think about what the character has learned

• Read the ending of the story

A lion was about to eat a mouse when the mouse pleaded, "Please, let me go, and someday I may help you." Laughing, the lion let the mouse go. Later, some hunters caught the lion in a trap. The mouse came along and chewed through the ropes and saved the lion's life.

What is the theme of this story?

• Slow and steady wins the race.

• Help others because what goes around comes around.

• Always tell the truth.

• It is okay to fail.

What is the definition of theme?

• how an author reveals a character's traits

• time and place a story takes place

• character vs. self

• author's message about life or human nature

Which quote from the story best supports the theme?

• Ariel was so wrapped up in her patients, she forgot about her own plans.

• Caring for people and easing their pain were very important to Ariel.

• She reminded Ariel that in order to attend a good nursing program, she needed good grades.

• She had been a volunteer in the hospital since she was 13.

What is the main difference between THEME and MAIN IDEA. 

• Theme is a universal lesson, and main idea is what a story is about.

• Theme is what a story is about, and main idea is the universal lesson it teaches.
  

What is the main idea of the passage?

• Analyzing the structure of the passage.

• Summarizing the main characters in the passage.

• Identifying the author's writing style in the passage.

• Identifying the central theme or message of the passage.

Tags

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.4.2